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Bewick, Thomas.
The Works of Thomas Bewick: Vol. I Select Fables, Vol. II Quadrupeds, Vol. III Land Birds, Vol. IV Water Birds & Vol. V Fables of Aesop and Others [5 volume set].
Publisher: Emerson Charnley, Newcastle upon Tyne;
Date of Publication: 1818
Stock Code: 8078
Select Fables, First Printing 1820; Quadrupeds, Seventh Edition 1820; Land Birds 1826, Water Birds 1826 (the best edition of the Birds and the last published during Bewick’s lifetime); Fables of Aesop and Others 1818. Royal Octavo copies, pp. [4], xl, 332; [2], x, 528; [2], xliv, 382, 50 Supplement, [2] Contents to Supplement; [2], xxii, 432, 49, [1] Contents of the Supplement, [2] catalogue; [2] thumb print, [2], xxiv, 376. As called for all volumes have Charnley’s extra general title page and all but Select Fables (which has Bewick’s portrait as frontispiece) have frontispieces printed especially for this set. Full brown polished calf, borders in gilt and blind, 5 raised bands, gilt title and volume labels, floral gilt decoration to compartments. Sympathetically and very capably rebacked, probably in the 19th c. Edges and endpapers marbled. Small surface loss to lower board of Vol II (historic bookworm) and corners showing minor wear. Small surface scuffs to ffep Vol IV, minor scattered light foxing, mainly to prelims and endpapers. Armorial bookplate of Newcastle notable Henry Ellison to each front paste-down. The rare first ‘collected edition’ of Bewick’s primary works in Royal Octavo. Emerson Charnley's aim of producing a definitive 'set' of Bewick's works was realised with a new edition of the 'Birds' published in 1821. Tattersfield states that "all featured an extra specially printed conjugate frontispiece and title-page to each volume, only the morocco-bound royal paper copies of the 'Quadrupeds' (and their imperial paper peers) contained the cut of the large lion". Here present in this set Charnley advertised the cut as "the largest Lion Mr B. ever engraved". This set contains the 1826 'Birds' so Charley was still seemingly issuing sets at least up until that date. Whilst not in Tattersfield’s ‘Bookplates of Beilby & Bewick’ Henry Ellison’s bookplate, at least to this booksellers eye, is almost certainly from the Bewick workshop. Henry Ellison was descended from a long line of Northumbrian notables (ancestors included local MP's and mayors of Newcastle) and was heir to Gateshead Park, the Cotesworth Estate, Hebburn Estate and Hebburn Hall, making him one of the principal landowners in the North East. The breadth and location of his estates meant he was in control of the passage of coal from nearly the whole of the south of the Tyne, and Hebburn Hall is considered an excellent example of the Tyneside Classical tradition during John Dobson's era. Roscoe, writing in 1953, noted that ''at the present day copies of volumes with the extra title-pages are extremely hard to come by". A very handsome uniform set of very desirable editions of Bewick’s principle works. £3000.00